Dream Tek Sleep Systems

What To Do When You’re Too Hot to Sleep

There are many factors important in achieving a comfortable night’s sleep, and perhaps most important is the temperature of your room. When you’re too hot to sleep, you can toss and turn all night trying to cool down, effectively raising your temperature even further. If you’re too cold, you will find it hard to relax and get comfortable, keeping you awake all night again.

Feeling hot when sleeping can be for a range of reasons, including your surrounding climate, poor bedding choices, insufficient cooling or fresh air, or just a naturally high body temperature. Whichever the reason, there’s no denying that sleeping hot is naturally uncomfortable and can cause you to lose many hours of necessary rest.

Thankfully, there are a few handy ways in which you can cool both your room and yourself down so you can achieve a decent sleep again. With the correct temperature, you’ll find it easy to drift off at the end of each day and stay peacefully asleep for the entire night.

Achieving the Right Temperature for Sleep

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the ideal temperature for an adult to sleep in is around 65 degrees. This may vary a degree or two depending on the person as some people find it more comfortable to be a little hotter or cooler than this and others may have a naturally hot body temperature while sleeping.

To reach the ideal temperature to avoid being hot when sleeping, you should first start with the air and cooling in your bedroom. As a starting off point, the temperature should be just enough that you feel cold without a blanket or comforter on.

Working from this point, you can then add a comforter or bed clothes required, which may be more or less depending on the natural temperature. If you don’t have access to a cooling or heating system there are a few ways to get your room more comfortable.

For climates that are too cold, ensure you purchase a quality comforter that can be doubled up in the cooler months for extra insulation. If the air is particularly cold, it may be dry, so a humidifier can help to add some moisture to the air.

If the opposite is true, you may be wondering how to sleep in a hot room. Utilize either an air conditioner or ceiling fan where possible, otherwise, a pedestal electric fan placed near an open window can be sufficient enough to cool your room down.

Why Does My Body Get Hot When I Sleep?

Many people find that sleep naturally causes them to heat up and sweat. During the day, our body temperature fluctuates depending on our need for sleep. As it reaches closer to bedtime, our body temperature drops which allows us to fall asleep more easily.

Throughout the night, this may rise again as your body works to regulate its temperature and keep you comfortable, which is why some people may shiver or sweat at times. As your temperature rises, this sweat is meant to cool you down, but it won’t be able to have this effect if your bedding is too warm. Instead, you will find that you sweat incessantly and have a damp bed, again making the environment uncomfortable.

In some cases, sweating at night can be caused by a range of other problems. According to WebMD, sweats or hot flashes at night may be a symptom of menopause, medications, infections, or hypoglycemia, and should be discussed with a health professional. If you find that your room is set at the ideal temperature and this is still an issue, it could be from one of these causes.

Effective Ways to Keep the Temperature Down as You Sleep

If you’re feeling the effects of heat at night and experiencing sweats that aren’t medically related, there are a few simple ways to keep your temperature down.

Dress light

Focus on your own body temperature first before worrying about your home, as this is what will help keep you regulated throughout the night. Dress as lightly as possible and avoid socks, as this can trap the heat of your body.

Use minimal bedding

In the hotter months, try to limit the amount of bedding you use. Many comforters come in single or double types so you can use one in the warmer months and then clip on an additional one for winter.

Utilize air conditioners, fans, or natural air

Where possible, you can use an air conditioner in your home to help produce cool air and keep it at a maintained level all day. Otherwise, a ceiling fan or electric portable one can be kept in your room to help circulate the cooler air in.

Keep your room dark during the day

According to the Huffington Post, up to 30% of your home’s heat comes from windows. During the day, try to keep your blinds closed or windows covered to avoid the heat from entering your home and staying there overnight.

The Importance of Temperature

Achieving the right temperature is crucial in ensuring you have a full night’s sleep, and when this is at a comfortable level you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to drift off each night. By ensuring you have the right bedding, sufficient air supply, and the correct bedclothes on to regulate temperature you can guarantee you are on the right track to the best environment for sleep.

If you’re wondering why do you get hot when you sleep, there is often a natural and healthy reason for this. However, if you find that your too hot can’t sleep issues are continual, you may need to speak with a health professional. Sleep is one of the most important functions we do as humans, so it’s essential we get it right.